This book is intended as a modern physics text for science majors and engineering

students who have already completed an introductory calculus-based physics course. The contents of this text may be subdivided into two broad categories: an introduction to the theories of relativity, quantum and statistical physics (Chapters 1 through 10) and applications of elementary quantum theory to molecular, solid-state, nuclear, and particle physics (Chapters 11 through 16).

The material covered in this book is concerned with fundamental topics in modern physics with extensive applications in science and engineering. Chapters 1 and 2 present an introduction to the special theory of relativity. Chapter 2 also contains an introduction to general relativity. Chapters 3 through 5 present an historical and conceptual introduction to early developments in quantum theory, including a discussion of key experiments that show the quantum aspects of nature. Chapters 6 through 9 are an introduction to the real “nuts and bolts” of quantum mechanics, covering the Schrödinger equation, tunneling phenomena, the hydrogen atom, and multielectron atoms, while Chapter 10 contains an introduction to statistical physics. The remainder of the book consists mainly of applications of the theory set forth in earlier chapters to more specialized areas of modern physics. In particular, Chapter 11 discusses the physics of molecules, while Chapter 12 is an introduction to the physics of solids and electronic devices. Chapters 13 and 14 cover nuclear physics, methods of obtaining energy from nuclear reactions, and medical and other applications of nuclear processes. Chapter 15 treats elementary particle physics, and Chapter 16 (available online at http://info. brookscole.com/mp3e) covers cosmology.